The Latest: Iditarod bans musher in domestic violence case

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Latest on the Iditarod banning a musher facing domestic violence charges from next year’s race (all times local):

2:50 p.m.

The top officer for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race said the board intended to let the legal process play out before addressing a musher who has been charged in a domestic violence case.

Travis Beals of Seward, Alaska, had his case sent April 14 to a therapeutic court, where he will undergo treatment versus incarceration. Stan Hooley, the race’s CEO, said they became aware of the charges in late January, but let him run in this year’s race as the case worked its way through the court system.

But the Iditarod board met in Anchorage on Friday, and banned Beals from running in next year’s race. They also determined Beals’ future participation in the 1,000-mile race to Nome will depend on his court-ordered rehabilitation.

Beals didn’t attend the meeting and was informed of the board’s decision by telephone.

Hooley says it was hard news for Beals to take, but he’s hopeful both parties will get the help they need and there is eventually a better ending to this story.

Beals didn’t return messages to the AP for comment, and his public defender declined to comment, saying the case isn’t yet resolved.

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1:34 p.m.

Iditarod officials will not allow a musher who faces charges in a domestic violence case to participate in next year’s sled dog race across Alaska and some races after that.

The Iditarod Trail Committee Board in a release Friday said it would not accept race applications from musher Travis Beals next year “and for an indefinite period of time thereafter.”

Beals faces misdemeanour assault and criminal mischief charges filed in state court for a Dec. 21 incident. Charging documents aren’t available on online, but the Alaska Dispatch News (http://is.gd/l8WLRH) reports the documents allege Beals put a woman into a headlock, picked her up off a couch, took her to the door and pushed her outside of a cabin they shared in the community of Willow, Alaska.

Beals didn’t immediately return messages or a text Friday to The Associated Press.